Product Description

Ride into Aqaba with Lawrence of Arabia. Stand with Patton as his tanks lead the Allied breakout from the coast of Normandy. Patrol the nighttime jungles of Vietnam... A CENTURY OF WARFARE explores the pivotal battles, profiles the commanders and chronicles the myriad ways in which war has shaped the modern world. The 26 hour-long episodes in this monumental set feature an encyclopedic collection of archival film dating back to 1896, creating an unforgettable visual record of every major military engagement from the precursors of World War I to the liberation of Kuwait. THE HISTORY CHANNEL is proud to present this epic, landmark series, now available in its entirety and presented on DVD for the first time ever. DVD volumes:

Volume 1: (3 hours, 28 minutes):
--The Violent Century: THE CENTURY OF WARFARE opens with a look at the defining characteristics of modern war and the development of the weapons that revolutionized combat.
--The World Goes to War: Explore the factors that led to the outbreak of World War I and see why efforts to prevent the coming conflict failed.
--Blood and Mud: Harrowing photos and rare footage show the grim reality of trench warfare on the Western Front.
--War of the Eagles: Three empires clash on the Eastern Front, until the Russian Revolution topples the Czar and the nation withdraws from the fight.

Volume 2: (3 hours, 28 minutes)
--Battle Fleets and U-Boats: Naval warfare in World War I, from submarine attacks and supporting forces on land to the Battle of Jutland.
--Aces High: See how the plane became a weapon, fly with the pioneers of military aviation, and relive the exploits of legendary pilots like the Red Baron.
--War to End All War?: The entry of the United States helped bring World War I to a close, but the harsh conditions of the Versailles Treaty paved the way for a greater conflict to come.
--Enter the Dictators: The years between the World Wars were marked by the rise of totalitarian states in Europe and a growing militancy in the Far East.

Volume 3: (3 hours, 28 minutes)
--The War Clouds Gather: Conflicts in China, Spain and Africa presaged the horrors to come, while Hitler cemented his power and prepared for his bloody campaign of aggression.
--Blitzkrieg: Germany's invasion of Poland introduced the world to a new brand of warfare. Less than a year later, the fall of France left Britain to face Hitler essentially alone.
--Britain Stands Alone: The extraordinary heroism demonstrated by British citizens and soldiers and a vital lifeline from across the Atlantic kept England from falling into Nazi clutches.
--Sand and Sea War: In and around the Mediterranean, Monty battled Rommel, American doughboys got their first real combat experience, and the Italian campaign gave the Allies a foothold in Europe.

Volume 4: (3 hours, 28 minutes)
--Hitler Turns East: Operation Barbarossa--the largest land invasion ever mounted--sent 3 million German troops and 3,300 tanks into the Soviet Union.
--The Long Road Back: Defeated at Stalingrad and denied entry to Moscow, the Wehrmacht embarked on a two-year delaying action as it retreated to Germany.
--Normandy to the Rhine: Follow the preparations for D-Day and the course of the war in Europe after the successful invasion.
--The End in Europe: As Germany was squeezed in the vice of the Allied advance, the Big Three met at Yalta to plan for the aftermath of war.

Volume 5: (3 hours, 28 minutes)
--Oriental Blitzkrieg: Analyze the forces that drove Japan to war and relive the initial victories that gave the Imperial forces an air of invincibility.
--Jungle and Ocean: The American island-hopping campaign drove the Japanese from their Pacific strongholds, but it would take a weapon of a different order bring the war to an end.
--The War at Sea: This sweeping overview of World War II's naval engagements includes footage from Atlantic convoys, major Pacific battles and the amphibious landing at Normandy.
--Air War: Fly in a B-17 on a harrowing daylight bombing raid, see how British aviators staved off the Luftwaffe, and watch as carrier-based fighters battle Zeros in the skies over Midway.

Volume 6: (2 hours, 36 minutes)
--Iron Curtain: Divided at the end of World War II, Europe was a potential flashpoint for 40 years as the superpowers maintained an uneasy peace built on deterrence.
--Oriental Communism: From the withdrawal of the old Colonial powers to the conflict in Korea, instability, regional conflicts and the boiling over of Cold War tensions marked much of the 20th century in Asia.
--Wars in Peace: The perennial problems of civil war, terrorism and bilateral wars have taken on a new urgency in the years since the end of the Cold War, and the international community is struggling to deal with them.

Volume 7: (2 hours, 36 minutes)
--Vietnam: It was a war that proved that might and money do not lead inevitably to victory, and its harsh lessons forced America to rethink its role in the world.
--War in the Middle East: From Israel's continual battles to defend itself to inter-Arab squabbles and the role of oil, trace the many conflicts that have shaken this tumultuous region.
--Gulf War and the Future: The Allied victory over Iraq showed showcased a new generation of weapons and tactics, but evolving threats--particularly from weapons of mass destruction--require a new approach to deterrence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17356 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2003-06-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 7
• Running time: 1350 minutes

Customer Reviews

A Well-rounded treatment of 20th Century conflicts.
The Century of Warfare is a somewhat inconsistent but generally satisfying production that mixes flashes of brilliance with equal doses of mediocrity.

The strength of this set lies in attention to detail, such as the strong opening episode which examines the political and social make-up of the world from the late 1800s up to the start of the First World War. Factors often overlooked by more conventional military history video productions are given their just due, including a refreshingly thorough examination of the Balkan tinderbox.

World War I is given very detailed treatment, particularly in lesser known theaters. For example, the episode entitled Battle Fleets and U-Boats takes the time to cover many secondary naval clashes, as opposed to the usual tunnel-vision emphasis on submarine warfare and the Battle of Jutland.

World War II is a weak spot, primarily because there are more comprehensive works available, in particular the masterful "World at War" series. However, given the overall scope of The Century of Warfare, these are relatively minor weaknesses.

The Korean Conflict is given more than a cursory look, another conspicuous plus for this production. Many minor conflicts which have been largely ignored (at least by Western historians) are also covered.

Production values are excellent, relying on historical footage with no attempt to edit or correct flaws. This insistence on authentic images imparts an almost tangible immediacy and power to the series.

The one serious weakness is in the narration. Robert Powell's droning, monotonous reading of the script is an excellent prescription for insomnia but does little to support what is often a powerful and gripping visual record.

Taken as a whole, the strengths of The Century of Warfare far outweigh its few weaknesses. This is a superior overview of 20th century armed conflicts, a legitimate bargain for students of military history or anyone wishing to see a major factor in this dynamic and too often tragic period of time.

If it weren't for the British ...
I just recently purchased this DVD set and I am, for the most part, happy with it. I also own the Victory at Sea and The World at War DVD sets and this is a good addition to my collection. V at S and W at W deal only with WW II, so the value of C of W is it's dealing with other 20th century conflicts.

If you are considering buying this collection, please understand that this is a British production (with a British narrator) and has a decidedly British point of view. This should not keep you from purchasing Century of Warfare.

The 20th century is often refered to as the "American Century" for good reason, but you may not get that feeling or understanding from this DVD collection. After watching this, you may get the idea that Great Britain is still a super power as it was at the dawn of the 20th century. That's OK, the videos in this collection are excellent and, even in it's treatment of WW II, there are videos that I have not seen in V at S or W at W.

As for the narration, it has been criticized in other reviews as dull and monotonous. Well, as I said, the narrator is British and he does keep that famous "stiff upper lip," but the narration is insightful and well done.

The Century of Warfare goes beyond just the military aspect of the century and delves into the political, economic, and social events of the century. Yes, Great Britain was a super power at the beginning of the 20th century and the wars she fought took its toll on this nation in more than the loss of life. Perhaps a lesson that should not be lost on the United States today.

college level history lessons
This is real history given at the freshman college level. The main information is in the audio with the video as illustrations.

This is in stark contrast to the junior high school level journalism-propaganda type programs on PBS that pass for history lessons.

One shortcoming is that it does not give enough time to the espionage operations of the wars. Another is some minor errors. For example the Bismark is claimed to have been sunk. The captain claimed it was scuttled. Underwater photos of the wreck confirm this.

There are some errors. In the Vietnam portion they describe a general rotating out after two years (standard Army practice) as being relieved of his command. They fail to mention that the final collapse was caused by congress cutting off resupply of critical items such as ammunition. Tet 68 was a US victory. Almost of the Vietcong were killed when they fought to the death instead of retreating. After that the war was carried on by regular army troops of the north who wore civilian clothes. Another error was their inferring that the US public in general had turned against the war by 1972 or so. Nixon won the election by the second greatest landslide in presidential election history. He won over the other candidate who wanted to stop the war immediately and withdraw immediately.